The University of Rhode Island biomedical sciences community is hopeful toward future research after the passing of the second bond question on Rhode Island’s ballot, which includes $87.5 million of funding to a new biomedical sciences building.
The research-based building is designed to be constructed on Flagg Road and will welcome researchers and students from both the biomedical and life sciences. The building is supposed to help alleviate the lack of space that URI is facing, according to professor and director of IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence at URI , Bongsup Cho.
“‘Yes on 2’ provides funds for building a life science building on the URI campus, which then just contributes to the whole sort of ecosystem that we’re building,” Patrice Milos, the interim president of the Rhode Island Life Sciences Hub, said.
With biomedical researchers spread all across campus in chemistry, pharmacy and biotechnology buildings, as well as in different buildings for the arts and sciences, the construction will allow for researchers and students to better connect, Cho said.
“The location is good in the sense that all the biomedical researchers are in the same area,” Cho said. “I think that will help them to communicate.”
Passed with 59.7% of the vote in favor, members of the URI community have shown support toward the bond, including Milos.
“I had no idea what the voter appetite would be for any of the bonds as the state is anticipating some pretty tight financial constraints next year,” Milos said. “It was great to see the bonds pass for really important areas that Rhode Island needs to invest in.”
One of the biggest advocates and supporters for the bond was URI President Marc Parlange, who made constant efforts to raise awareness for “Yes on 2,” through an extensive campaign, multiple announcements and in his everyday nature, according to Milos.
“He was such a strong advocate, every time I ran into him he was like, ‘vote Yes on 2,’” Milos said. “He was a great spokesman for the university.”
As interim president of the Rhode Island Life Sciences Hub, “Yes on 2” coincides with Milos’ responsibility to work to unify all parties who are advancing the life sciences industry in Rhode Island.
“Building a state of the art, life science building where students can really learn in an environment of hands-on laboratory learning in classrooms with cutting-edge tools and technologies to teach the latest in science really helps build the workforce of tomorrow,” Milos said.
Through new infrastructure, URI’s new biomedical sciences building will inevitably create a program with greater respect and stronger innovation, Cho said.
“I think this is a huge deal for URI in terms of improving the biomedical research capacity at URI, and this will really put us on the map as a research intensive institution for biomedical science,” Cho said. “In science, infrastructure is the most important thing, and then you need good students and good faculty, and this kind of facility will really help us to attract good people.”
To view Parlange’s statement on the passing of “Yes On 2” and the potential it generates to develop URI as the state’s flagship public research university, visit UniversityofRI on Youtube .
“I think this building symbolizes our commitment to biomedical research and I think it’ll really have an impact on our future in biomedical sciences,” Cho said.